The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-06-16

a hot cooking-stove. preparing delica-
cies for the sick, and carried them her.
self to the sufferers, the scorching sun
beating down on her with dry, burn
ing heat. Often she found the nurse
of Yesterday the invalid of to-day. and
would remain night after night tend
ing the worse cases under her fathers
care, more than ono ending her duty
by dressing the still form of a dearly
loved friend for the grave.
Her father guarded her by prevent
tives and precautions as far as possible.
but he never stopped her.
"She is doing the work of her Heav-
emily Father; he will protect her." was
his answer to some friendly remon-
strances, and for a long time it SEEM
ed as if the maiden bore indeed a
charmed life.
The fever had run It's course,
when, in September. a cool, wet
week broke the oppressive, heat, and no
new cases occurred afterward except
one. But all, that one tore the doc
tors heart strings more than all the
rest, for in her room, tossing in
delirious agony, May called pitifully
for the father she did not recognize,
the lover, absent from her, the friends
gone from earth forever. Over and
over again she lived the painful scenes
OF the past few weeks, and Mrs. Wells,
her faithful nurse, knew she stood
very near the grave for many long
days.
May did not know when Mark Pen
dleton was sent for and admitted to the
darkened room, for what they feared
was a last gaze at his promised wife;
she did not know when all the glori-
Gus p%rofusion of her golden hair was
shorn of, to place bladders of ice upon
her head; she knew nothing for many,
many days, till, waking from a long,
deep sleep, she saw with clear, COM
pretending eyes, her fathers face
bending owe her.
She smiled, wondering where her
voice had gone, as she said, family:
''Father!'
And he. softly kissing her eyelids, as
they closed again, only murmured:
"Thank God! my child is spared to
me-"
There wa a long convalescence, and
after May could sit up and be dressed
she wondered where her mirror and
hand-glass had vanished. Mrs. Wells
muttered something about ''Eliza's so
careless, always breaking something"
and her father called her ''little vanity
with a quivering smile, when she asked
for them.
Even when Mark came, as he did
several times. Mrs. Wells dressed her,
tied on the lace cap that covered her
poor, bald head, and ''said sick folks
weren't expected to prink."
But n day, when she felt nearly
we'll, she stole down to the sitting-room
alone, and looked full in the mirror
over the m~antleplece.
She knew then why she had been so
tenderly guarded Honn the shock of
seeing her own face. A border of fluted
lace replaced her splendid hair, and a
uniform deep pink color was spread
like a mask over her whole face. Her
eyes were sunken, and a strange, un-,
natural ugliness seem"''o nave usurped
her own beaut. Covering her face
she Wepc bitter, unavailing tears.
She had been innocently proud of
her lovely face. and Mark had loved
It. Even in her first grief she thought
most of her lover, sobbing his name
as if in answer, he bent over her.
May" he said, edo not grieve so.
is only your beauty that is gone.
The best of you is here, little May"
She looked up saying:
You had better call me Mary Jane
now. 1t suits my face better"
Il want to call you Mrs. Pendleton,
as soon as possible" he replied, gaily.
"Mark! You would not mary such
a sight?"
Just try me! Why, May" he add
gravely, "you surely do notimagine
this change in your face shakes my
love. Suppose this fever had come
after we were married, do you suppose
I should have II away?"
''You would have been forced to sub
NIT then. I suppose" she said. very
dolefully. ''Now you can escape"
Thanks! I I'm very we'll content
in my present bondage, I assure you.
And he proved the fact by urging an
wedding. The doctor smil-
ed when May made some wandering
saying: Il should be sorry
to think Mark loved only your beauty,
my daughter"
And the old man INDUCED in a most
unusual chuckle, as if immensely anus
ed by some thought of his own.
But the wedding was once more post
poned by Mark himself. His brother
in New Orleans died suddedly, and the
widow needed some one to look after
property. So the winter glided
away, and April opened, when a dis
patch announced Marks speedy return,
and preparations for the wedding were
fastened in earnest.
The doctor met MI. Pcndleton at the